Transit to & Thanksgiving in St. Mary's GA

Transit from Jekyll Island, GA to St. Mary’s, GA 20091124 After fueling in Jekyll Island, we again headed south in the “ditch”. Since it is only ~25 miles from Jekyll Island to St. Mary’s, we anticipated an easy journey and early arrival. All went well until where the crooked river comes into the ICW. The engine just quit. We anchored and discovered the fuel filter clogged. A quick replacement, then the battery was dead. The fuses on the charging circuits to both the house and starting batteries were blown. Again replacements and a jump start from the backup battery had us moving and charging again. These mishaps delayed our arrival about an hour. After traveling from end to end of Cumberland Island on the ICW, we turned west into the St. Mary’s river and followed it 2 miles to the town. Coming around the final bend, mast sprouted from every nook along the riverfront. We anchored, but decided we were too close to other boats, so hoisted the delta anchor and chain, moving 100 yards east, in a little deeper water for clearance. In 25 feet of water (low tide); I let out 135 feet of chain and backed down hard to set the anchor. We have been securely anchored since, again swinging with the tides. We launched the 10’ ridged-inflatable-bottom (RIB) dinghy from the foredeck, using the spinnaker halyard and winch, dropping it’s 125#’s easily over the lifelines and walking it port to starboard. I removed the 15 hp Yamaha engine from its stern rail mount, moving it in short hops to the starboard rail, then attaching a block and tackle, eased it into position onto the dinghy’s stern. Addition of the removable seat, lifejackets and gas tank; plus 2 pulls on the starter cord, and we were ready for town. Cathy and I jumped in, then, motored to the dinghy dock, joining the other 25 or so hard and inflatable dinks already there. Seagle’s Saloon @ Riverview Hotel hosted a reception and all brought snacks, with the bar providing adult beverages. We left after an 1½ hours for dinner, then motored back in the dark for an early bedtime. The wind blew and the rains came overnight, with sprinkles only by morning. I pumped out the dink, then we left to meet the van for a shopping run, returning for a town tour and hot lunch. We keep meeting the most interesting people. Couples from Ontario, Annapolis, Detroit, Portland (Me), etc. cross our paths in the van for shopping, in the city tour cart and most importantly at “Sundowners”. All have suggestions for marinas, places to visit; especially, small islands in the Bahamas. The Sundowners are very interesting. About ½ hour before they begin, you hear first one, then another and another dinghy motor rev up. Looking back from the dinghy dock, the flotilla of inflatables converge from all point in the harbor, literally >100 boats fill each space at the dock 3 deep. Late arrivals clamber over the bobbing donut of others boats to tie up. Each boat brings a precious cargo of food to contribute to the gala, usually dips and appetizers. As the outside bar fills with dishes, more goodies come in through the gate of Seagle’s Saloon and make their way to the tables of the patio. Last evening, the town provided an oyster roast. The surging throng of cruisers crush against the food bar, pulsing and moving slowly like locusts down the buffet, sampling ALL dishes, leaving crumbs, and used toothpicks in their wake. A new plate of food arrives and like a lighthouse beacon, draws the attention of the hungry crowd. Soon a circle of predators develops around the unprotected sustenance, and it is ceremoniously consumed. It appears that raving about how good everything tastes justifies gluttony at these events. All the great food is washed down by copious amounts of beer and mixed drinks from Cindy the barmaid. Cindy is something special. She is five feet tall, 250 pounds, wearing tank tops and short bib overalls. Visible are an assortment of tattoos, on her chest, shoulders, back, arms…consisting of barbed wire wraps, geometric patterns, stars…She rules over the bar with an iron hand and foul mouth. She waits on whoever she wants in whatever order by her whim. She is the female version of Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi”. It was great fun to observe her interactions. Overnight was very special. We returned to Angel and went to sleep early. I arose around 2am to check the anchor, but before rising I lay quietly and noticed there was NO sound. The tide was slack, calm winds, and we lay absolutely still in the harbor. Holding my breath between Cathy’s rhythmic breathing, I strained to hear any sound and there were NONE. No bedclothes rustling, no sailcloth crinkling no wavelets lapping again the boat. I stirred and check the systems; bilge, anchor, cockpit, dinghy and batteries. All was OK. I sat for a few minutes in the cockpit, cold but satisfied with the situation. Today is Thanksgiving…We are missing family, but will call all later today. Thanksgiving in St. Mary’s GA Thanksgiving in St. Mary’s is a jam packed day. Yesterday p.m., we created our contribution to the Thanksgiving feast, Rum Balls (5 dozen). We slept late, washed up and put on better clothes, then jumped in the dink and headed to the dock around 11am. We stopped by the hotel, dropped our coats & boat business cards to reserve seating, placed our dish of Rum Balls on the desert table and walked around town, calling family. The crowd kept coming, filling the dinghy dock and then the hotel and spilling into the street. At 1pm, the line formed outside with plates in hand. More than 100 people formed the que down the block. Once inside, two parallel 10 foot long tables were filled to overflowing with all types of cuisine. Dressings (sage, cornbread, etc.), cranberry sauces, potatoes (whipped, boiled and salad), veggies (green beans, corn, butterbeans, squash, etc.), and of course 4 types of hams and turkeys roasted to perfection. There was a separate table of breads and the desert table had pies (pumpkin, pecan & banana cream), cakes (chocolate, pound, cranberry, etc.), cookies, and whipped cream. Like us, most tables brought their own bottle of wine to complement the feast. People ate, talked, rested and ate again. No one went away hungry. Afterwards, the crowd thinned and most headed back to their boats for a nap. There was a dance with live band in the park from 5:30pm-9:30pm. Overnight, the wind built to 25 knots and I slept poorly, getting up frequently to see about the anchor. On Friday Morning, we arose, loaded the dinghy & motor, heading south once again toward Jacksonville. Jim & Cathy